HAL Photo prices. Why so high? Something special?

[OneNewTexan]

We will be leaving on our first Holland-America cruise later this month and noted on the HAL website the extremely high prices for the portrait photos. We also noted the unusual size of the photos. Is there something about the HAL portrait photos that justifies the high price? Are we missing something or is HAL simply overcharging compared to Celebrity that only charges $20 per 8x10 print and frequently offers specials that lower the cost further?

[donaldsc]

IMHO, all of the photos taken by the people on the ship are of poor quality. I would not buy any of them. However, if people did not not buy any of them, they would have to reduce the price.

 

DON

[djhsolara]

I posted about this on the Celebrity page last week, however I'll chime in with my two cents here as well. While it may initially look expensive, consider what it is. Do you know of a studio at home where you can go in for a portrait sitting with a choice of backgrounds and purchase a photo for $35? I don't know of any place like that here.

 

Yes, it seems expensive, but for us this is a "cheap" way to possibly get some nice pictures. My partner and I are celebrating our 10th anniversary and on our last sailing we knew that we wanted to have photos taken specifically for our anniversary party. We planned different outfits for different nights specifically for photos. We got some very nice photos out of it. In fact, on that line they had an offer to have a photo put onto a 16x20 canvas for $69.99. We brought this home and had it professionally framed and we now have a photo on canvas that looks like a professionally painted portrait. Everyone has raved over it.

 

The nice part is that you have your choice of backgrounds and poses...and if you don't like any of the photos you are under no obligation to purchase them (we've never pre-purchased them online, we've just purchased them onboard). On each sailing we've been on there has always been at least one photographer that wanted to pose us in ways that we didn't like or want. One was very insistent and we finally had to tell her that it was a waste of time for her and us because there was no way we would purchase a photo of us posed that way so we weren't going to have it taken.

 

Have some fun with it...and you may just get some photos that you might like. Keep in mind too that often people are cruising with friends/family that may be special or there may be a special occasion...and as I said, this is a relatively cheap way to get some nice photos.

 

:) :)

[pms4104]

There are portraits ... and there are other less formal photos at a lesser (tho still a tad high) prices.

[Krazy Kruizers]

the prices are high -- JMO

 

but there are all kinds of pictures that they can take besides the formal portraits -- they will take pictures of you as you embark the ship -- as you leave the ship in most ports -- in the dining room on formal nights -- some of the photograpers have been assigned to go on exotic tours and take pictures there -- some will take pictures of you at hmc

 

you can look them all over and determine if you want to buy any

[jhannah]

On each sailing we've been on there has always been at least one photographer that wanted to pose us in ways that we didn't like or want. One was very insistent and we finally had to tell her that it was a waste of time for her and us because there was no way we would purchase a photo of us posed that way so we weren't going to have it taken.

Exactly! We have to do this every time. When you look at the poses, many of them are simply cheesy looking.

 

Yes, the prices are high. Higher than they used to be. (Isn't everything?) But we like to get a fresh formal portrait every once in a while. Don't care for the embarkation or arrival at port photos. We just politely say, "No, thank you" and pass on by. They're a waste, IMO.

[kazu]

We have bought the odd portrait photo as well. it's not often that we have a chance to dress up around here, so we like to take advantage of it. Dh is fond of souvenirs and memories so even if I think the price is too high - pretty sure he will buy some;) whether it be dining room, casual or portrait - whatever he thinks is good;) As noted, the beauty is you only buy if you like them :)

[iriemon]

Yes HAL is more expensive than other lines and IMHO they are not as good as other lines, our experience has been that a lot of them are out of focus. We renewed our vows on the ship and even those pictures were not good, ones that were taken by others at the ceremony were better. If HAL would come into the 21st century and have them electronically instead of printing all those pictures think of how their costs would go down - in that case they could either lower the prices :) or make more money:rolleyes:

[peaches from georgia]

It may be that people buy more when they actually hold a real picture in their hands rather than just look at them electronically. We never have bought any so don't care either way. It is a pleasure to be on a cruise where there are no photographers at all who for us just get in the way wherever they are.

[iancal]

We seldom buy them. They are a tad expensive but then again no one forces us to buy them. I am sure that HAL takes a hard look at price vs quantity sold with a view to maximizing their revenue.

 

I am always surprised to see how many photos actually get tossed. It seems a shame to have all that waste on all cruise lines given that most cruise lines are always trying to put it over that they ulta environment friendly.

[jhannah]

It may be that people buy more when they actually hold a real picture in their hands rather than just look at them electronically.

I believe that's right, although conventional wisdom (as iriemon pointed out) tells us that it could be lots cheaper electronically. Having a bank of kiosks -- or, better yet, being able to pull them up on the stateroom television -- would save so much paper and ink. But then there would be the logistics of capturing a name or ID of some sort to attach to the picture.

 

I guess we're stuck with what we have!

[NJ Fred]

The only way I purchase from a shipboard photographer is getting the photos on CD ROM or a flash drive. It is true that the paper used onboard is quite inferior in quality and durability to that which you can purchase in any office supply store for far less cost.

 

I agree with those who comment that the posed shots can look cheesy. But, in all fairness, when there is a line for portraits, the photographers have to rush.

[iancal]

You do NOT have to stand in line for photos. More than once, on different ships, we have arranged for the photography shop to take pictures at a certain time or place (when it suited us and when it was not busy) on the ship. They have always been very obliging.

 

The pictures were generally of better quality because the photographer was able to take his/her time. The price was the same. We never bother with the line ups for photos any more and since we seldom go to the MDR on formal nights it really makes no difference to us when the pictures are taken.

[Sue from Canada]

IMHO, all of the photos taken by the people on the ship are of poor quality. I would not buy any of them. However, if people did not not buy any of them, they would have to reduce the price.

 

DON

 

The only photo I buy is the one they take of you just before you board the ship on departure day. IMO, the photographers are a nuisance during the remainder of the cruise.

[peaches from georgia]

The only photo I buy is the one they take of you just before you board the ship on departure day. IMO, the photographers are a nuisance during the remainder of the cruise.

Sue, you're not a party pooper are you? You mean you find having a pirate hanging over you in the MDR with 2 photographers moving your plates and glasses around the table while you're eating dinner to be intrusive? :eek:

[bcd2010]

On each sailing we've been on there has always been at least one photographer that wanted to pose us in ways that we didn't like or want.

 

On my first cruise with DS, the photographer tried to pose us in a rather romantic pose, or at least a pose more romantic than is suitable for mother and son! He thought we were husband/wife.

[timothy998]

The best package we saw last week was $99 for 5 prints and the CD. At Disney World in Florida, for about $150 you get dozens of pictures on the CD. Disney has digital cameras with little keytags they give you...if you have one on you, just give it to the photographer and they scan it and link the pictures to you. Then when you get home you can bundle all the little keytags into one package, then buy the CD, from which you can do most anything with your photographs. So the technology IS there for something like this. Our last two trips to WDW, we have purchased the photograph CDs...but last summer we did not purchase the family pictures taken before meals...we still haven't done anything with the pictures from 2008 that we actually did purchase!

[Himself]

If everyone operated the way I do the prices would come down. They can take all they want but I don't buy them normally.